thou hast said enough then, for thou hatest Christ in hating them, and thou persecutest Christ in persecuting them: Isaiah 37.23.28. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed, saith the text, and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy one of Israel: and in the 28. verse, I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me; so that how ever Sennacherib aimed at Hezekiah only, and those that profess the truth, yet the Lord takes it at done to himself: he that knew their hearts and their malice, he saith, I know thy rage against me, it was against the holy One of Israel that they railed. Wicked men persecute the lives of believers; now Christ lives in them, and thou hatest the life of Christ, and persecutest the life of Christ: Acts 9. Paul had gotten letters from the Synagogue, and he would have haled to prison all the Saints of God that professed the Name of Christ; now if a man had come to Paul, and asked him, Paul why do you persecute Christ; he would have been in great indignation; what, reverenced Paul, learned Paul, zealous Paul; what, he persecute ⟨p. 13⟩the Lord of life? why, Christ proclaims it, he doth so, and he puts it to an upshot, and ends the controversy, and puts the question out of doubt, I am Jesus, saith he, whom thou persecutest: as if he had said, Poor fool; thou knowest not, and I perceive thou thinkest it not, but I receive the wound; the foot is pricked, and the head complains. I would have a man make the case his own, and be his own Judge: If any man should pretend friendship to you, and profess he loves you, and tells you he tenders your person, but yet he will torment your body; and he loves your head, but yet he will cut off your arm: there is no man so weak, but he would loath such cursed kind of dissimulation: a man cannot love the head and hate the member; love the person and torment the body: just so these men deal with the Lord Jesus Christ; Gods faithful believing servants are his eyes: Zechariah 2.8. He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye; they are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone: thou that pretendest to love Christ, and to tender the head, and in the mean time loathest his members, and his poor Saints; know that thou dost not persecute the Saints so much, but thou persecutest Christ much more:
thou hast said enough then, for thou hatest Christ in hating them, and thou persecutest Christ in persecuting them: Esay 37.23.28. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed, saith the text, and against whom hast thou exalted thy voyce, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy one of Israel: and in the 28. verse, I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy comming in, and thy rage against me; so that how ever Senacherib aymed at Hezekia onely, and those that professe the truth, yet the Lord takes it at done to himselfe: he that knew their hearts and their malice, hee saith, I know thy rage against me, it was against the holy One of Israel that they rayled. Wicked men persecute the lives of beleevers; now Christ lives in them, and thou hatest the life of Christ, and persecutest the life of Christ: Acts 9. Paul had gotten letters from the Synagogue, and hee would have haled to prison all the Saints of God that professed the Name of Christ; now if a man had come to Paul, and asked him, Paul why doe you persecute Christ; hee would have beene in great indignation; what, reverenced Paul, learned Paul, zealous Paul; what, hee persecute ⟨p. 13⟩the Lord of life? why, Christ proclaimes it, he doth so, and hee puts it to an upshot, and ends the controversie, and puts the question out of doubt, I am Iesus, saith he, whom thou persecutest: as if he had said, Poore foole; thou knowest not, and I perceive thou thinkest it not, but I receive the wound; the foot is prickt, and the head complaines. I would have a man make the case his owne, and be his owne Judge: If any man should pretend friendship to you, and professe hee loves you, and tells you hee tenders your person, but yet hee will torment your body; and hee loves your head, but yet he will cut off your arme: there is no man so weake, but he would loath such cursed kinde of dissimulation: a man cannot love the head and hate the member; love the person and torment the body: just so these men deale with the Lord Iesus Christ; Gods faithfull beleeving servants are his eyes: Zacharie 2.8. He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye; they are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone: thou that pretendest to love Christ, and to tender the head, and in the mean time loathest his members, and his poore Saints; know that thou dost not persecute the Saints so much, but thou persecutest Christ much more:
